


Sailing Unfamiliar Seas

by Dlxm950, Tsargus (Dlxm950)



Category: Warcraft - All Media Types, World of Warcraft
Genre: Ancient Technology, Angst, Azeroth, Betrayal, Cause that's what we all want to explore, Earth, F/F, F/M, Fell Magic, Gen, M/M, Magic and Science, Multi, New Cultural Experiences, New Technology, Technology, arcane magic, the burning legion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-05-20 15:14:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19379284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dlxm950/pseuds/Dlxm950, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dlxm950/pseuds/Tsargus
Summary: Jaina had heard the rumors of strange metal boats attacking Alliance ships but she had thought them nothing but the tales of drunk sailors.Sylvanas has captured an agent from a power she does not know. When a rescue attempt is made she finds herself hilariously under-powered and under-prepared.Both are left wondering who these strange beings are and why they sail on the seas of Azeroth.





	1. Metal Boats and Explosive Water

**Author's Note:**

> So the story begins...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Jaina had hoped to be a period of peace as they waited for the Hordes inevitable invitation for a cease fire quickly turns into the worlds Largest headache.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the story begins...

Jaina was irritated beyond belief. 

 

Reports had been coming in for months claiming the most ludicrous of stories.

 

At first she dismissed them as tall tales. Exaggerated stories of encounters with pirates. The men talking of massive metal ships that dwarfed all other vessels. Of metal pipes wide as towers and tall as trees extending from the water only to sink below the surface once a ship got near. One sailor had even claimed that the water had exploded once his ship sailed into it. 

 

She had just dismissed them. Sailors had a notoriety for consuming vast amounts of rum and alcohol and that often led to many fanciful tales in their reports. 

 

Theses stories unfortunately had one annoying commonality.

 

They all took place just south of Kul'Tiras in an area just about as large. The place was always the exact same. A single stretch of sea often used as a lain for trade within the Alliance. Close enough to the Eastern Kingdoms to ward of any Horde Ships and warm enough to provide the strong winds necessary to reach Kul’tiras.

 

At first she assumed pirates. A large raiding fleet that was choosing a specific weak spot right in the middle of their trade routes. And so sent a decently sized fleet of ships to escort the next merchant ships to follow the route.

 

One week turned into two and then into four. 

 

No messages.

 

No ships.

 

No people.

 

Anduin assured her that no ships had docked from Kul'tiras. So she asked the other Alliance leaders. Perhaps the ships had been forced to change route? No such luck. None of the other leaders had seen hide nor tail of the ships.

 

Then the screeching began.

 

In the middle of the night, every night, horrible screeching noises had been echoing in the sky. No clouds meant it couldn’t be some weird form of thunder. The Tidesages confirmed that no magic was present in the skies above Boralis. Yet despite this the screeching continued. 

 

Finally after the second week of the wretched noise she had one of the Alliance gunships fly over the city. 

 

The screeching continued with the Gunship being unable to make any discovery as to what was causing it. 

 

After two more weeks and no progress being made Jaina decided to call in a favor.

 

“Please Alliera I'm begging you. Just for one night. That is all I ask.” She pleaded.

 

“And the answer is still no. We may be friends but she made it very clear she wants no part in this war.” Alleria responded tersely.

 

The two women had been arguing for hours around the dining table. Jaina had called Alleria to Boralis keep in hopes that the Void elf might be able to convince her lover to assist them with their problem. 

 

Unfortunately Alleria was having none of it. 

 

“Please Alleria.” Jaina tried again. “This noise has moved past annoying. The people are scared. They fear for their families and loved ones. They turn to me for answers yet I can provide none.” Alliera seemed to soften a little at that so she, seeing an opportunity, continued. “Just one night. That is all I ask. One night aboard the gunship then you can return home and I will leave it be.”

 

Alleria heaved a great sigh before turning and nodding her head. Jaina smiled and went to hug the elf but before she could a hand pushed lightly against her chest. Looking up she was met with a hard stare. 

 

“One night.” Alleria said.

 

“One night.” Jaina agreed.

* * *

 

Alexstrasza stared hard into the darkness of the night. A strong wind was blowing from the south and the moon was in full eclipse. 

 

She had been amused when her lover had entered the sanctum with a guilty look and a request of aid from her friend. 

 

She had agreed if nothing more than to help the innocent people who slept below. 

 

So their they stood.

 

A dragon, her elf lover, and the lord admiral.

 

All standing on the gunboat. Waiting for whatever it was that was screeching in the air. 

 

A couple hours went by and no sign of this thing had manifested. No noise, no visual, only the wind and the soft hum of the turbines. 

 

“Perhaps it is gone.” Alleria said hopefully.

 

“Part of me hopes so and yet…” Jaina petered off.

 

“You wish to know. I am not surprised given what my beloved has told me of your nature.” Alexstrasza said to Jaina.

 

Jaina lightly shook her head with a small laugh before responding. “Yes. Part of me wishes to learn. The part of me that still resides on the council in Dalaran seeking more knowledge with an endless thirst for information. Yet it is conflicted now with the sailor in me that fears the unknown and heads the tales of long forgotten origin. This thing is not finished of that I am certain.”

 

With that the three woman lapsed back into silence. 

 

Then Allerias’ ear twitched to the south and her head quickly followed. The other two simply stared in confusion. 

 

“My love what do you-” 

 

“Shhhh.” Alleria said cutting of the dragon. “I hear something.”

 

The elf quickly ran over to the south facing edge shortly followed by the others. 

 

They stood their in silence.

 

The flag blew in the wind making the only sound besides the turbines.

 

They waited.

 

Nothing happened. 

 

With bated breath Jaina locked her eyes to the horizon. In the distance she could see a small smudge. She squinted in confusion then her eyes widened. Whatever it was was moving faster than anything she had seen before. In a matter of seconds in flew over them quieter than the wind. Then less than a fraction of a second later, a massive boom followed, along with the horrible screeching noise. 

 

All of them were forced to their knees and they clutched their ears. 

 

When her ears finally stopped ringing Jaina looked up. The crew of the ship were all slowly rising from the ground except Alleria. 

 

She was still on the ground hands pushing against her skull as though she intended to crush it. Jaina could faintly make out a small trickle of blood running between the elfs’ fingers. 

 

Jaina, after stumbling for a moment, finally found her legs and immediately began to search for whatever it was. She quickly found it. Eyes barely being able to follow it as it circle the gunboat. 

 

“All men to your stations. I want that thing blown out of the sky. Gunners try to track it use the circle its making to predict its location.” She bellowed to the soldiers. When the men were all up and following her orders she looked to Alexstrasza.

 

The dragon was holding her lover in her arms while attempting to heal the hypersensitive ears her lover held. 

 

“Alexstrasza!” Jaina yelled out. The dragon's head snapped up their eyes meeting. “The gunners are going to fire on my command. If it comes close to the ship I want you to hit it with your fire!” She couldn't hear the aspects response but she saw the nod of her head as the dragon morphed into her true form.

 

Jaina looked back to the strange thing. It was still moving incredibly fast which boggled her. Any living thing going that fast would have to be incredibly tired by now and begin to slow. Yet it did not. 

 

She briefly considered the possibility of it being gnomish or goblin in nature but that was impossible. If it was gnomish then why was it flying over Kul’tiras? And why wouldn’t the gnomes have just told her? No it couldn’t be from the Alliance. That left the Goblins but whatever this was was far too streamlined to be goblin tech. By the light it was too streamlined to be gnomish for that matter. 

 

So what was it? Why was it here? 

 

Her mind swarmed with possibilities. 

 

A secret Horde war machine.

 

The Legion.

 

Some previously undiscovered species of bird.

 

If it knew what Jaina was thinking it gave no inclination to answer. In fact, as if to make a dig at her, it began to go faster. 

 

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked to the captain.

 

“Fire!” She ordered.

 

All at once a cacophony of booms echoed as the cannons fired. Immediately the thing swung towards them but just as it went to fly over them Alexstrasza struck true. The flames poured from her mouth and into the target. A blast of hot, pure, dragon fire struck the bottom of it and a deafening explosion went off. 

 

The blast was so close it threw Jaina, along with everyone else, to the deck. 

 

Quickly recovering she ran to the other side of the ship just in time to watch the strange creature strike the middle of Boralis with a massive explosion. Luckily it managed to hit in the middle of an empty square but the fire that was spreading from it needed to be dealt with. 

 

So with a muttering of a spell she did exactly that. Sending a stream of water from the destroyed fountain into the fire extinguishing it. 

 

She heaved a deep breath and then smiled. 

 

It was over.

 

Yet before she could go to the others to congratulate them. Something caught her eye again. A single chair with a massive white sheet spread out above it was floating to the ground. 

 

And there was someone strapped to it. 

 

She watched as it slowly swayed to the ground at which point whoever (or whatever) was inside was apprehended by the city guards. 

 

 _Perhaps,_ Jaina thought to herself, _i’ll get my answers anyway._

* * *

 

The gunboat quickly lowered into the harbor. Jaina watched as Alexstrasza and Alleria were led up towards the keep to get Allerias ears looked after. Jaina herself began to march upwards towards the growing plum of smoke. 

 

All along the way up she watched as her people came out of their houses to see what had happened. She couldn’t blame them. She herself was just as curious about this strange creature. 

 

When she finally entered the square she stared in shock. 

 

A massive metal, _thing_ , was resting against one of the houses. Bits of metal were spread all around the square and undoubtedly on people's roofs. Small fires still raged in isolated pockets and as she drew closer to the metal thing she put them out absentmindedly. 

 

Once she was less than a foot away she slowly extended her hand towards it but just before she could graze it with her fingers a voice sounded from behind her.

 

“I woudn’ do that if I were you.” 

 

The person (she assumed it was a person anyway) said. 

 

“And why not?” Jaina asked.

 

“You kiddin’ me. The amount of heat still coming from that thing you’l scald yer hand right off.” It said with a strange twang.

 

“Perhaps you could tell me why?” Jaina asked.

 

When she got no response she shook her head. 

 

“Have, it, taken to the keep. I will continue their.” She ordered the guards. 

 

The guards nodded and began to drag the stranger towards the keep. 

 

Once the stranger was gone Jaina returned her attention to the metal beast before her. 

 

Just as the stranger had said it was burning to the touch. 

 

Using her magic Jaina slowly lowered it to the ground. Once it was resting fully she took a good long look at it. 

 

It was shaped like a triangle. With thin metal sheets converging at the tip. Just behind the tip was a small caved in section. The fire had destroyed much but from what she could see it was where the stranger had been when they commanded it. It seemed only big enough for one which meant there was a high chance it was just the one person. But considering this thing destroyed most of the theories of flight she understood, she wasn’t going to take any chances. 

 

She slowly walked around the side of it towards the right sheet. She marveled at the size of it. It spanned easily the length of a small room from the nearby houses. This one was, however, intact. Which could not be said for the other side. She noticed as she walked by a strange symbol painted their. Three lines of equal proportion. Blue, white, and red, in that order.

 

“How strange…” She muttered under her breath.

 

As she approached the back she quirked her eyebrows. 

 

The long tube that the sheets were attached to ended in some kind of hollow cone, that pointed inwards toward the center, along with some form of fin sticking out the top.

 

All together it made zero sense to her and yet somehow whoever they had just apprehended had managed to go faster than sound within it. 

 

It was by far the most infuriating puzzle she had ever had the displeasure of solving. An infinite puzzle box that just posed more questions than it answered. 

 

With a sigh she used her magic to lift it. They would just have to get someone to look at it and attempt to make some kind of sense from it all. 

 

With that she carried it back to the keep.

* * *

  


The plain is a french Dassault Mirage III from the 1950’s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. As always comments are appreciated as long as they remain respectful.


	2. Jaina Talks to a Magic Metal Box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unhelpful prisoner gives Jaina no further insight into last nights discovery than the metal wreck that currently inhabits the horse stalls. She would be tempted to go talk to the prisoner herself if the universe would kindly wait one day before throwing her back into the chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inconvenient timing is as always...inconvenient.

So far the prisoner had remained silent. No matter what they asked it it refused to make a sound. Worse was that they couldn’t get its helmet off which left them all guessing as to what it was. 

 

Hopefully they would have better luck with the strange machine it arrived in.

 

Gelbin had come shortly after Jaina had asked. Appearing in the middle of the docks with a full team of Gnomish engineers. 

 

“I can’t thank you enough Gelbin.” Jaina told him.

 

“It’s no problem Jaina. Now show me where this metal beast is.”

 

Just as she went to lead the gnome and his team to the keep. She spotted something in the bay. A metal tube sticking out of the water.

 

_ “It was as wide as a tower!” The sailor said. _

 

_ Jaina just sighed and shook her head. “Your telling me a giant metal tower just suddenly rose out of the water, waited for you to get close, sunk back below the waves, and then all of your ships were suddenly exploding.” She said staring the sailor in the eye.  _

 

_ “Well...when you say it like that it sounds ridiculous, but I swear its the truth.” He said in earnest. _

 

“Wide as a tower. Tall as a tree.” Jaina muttered still staring at the tube.

 

“What in the world is that? Jaina?” Gelbin asked.

 

Before she could respond the metal thing sunk back below the water. 

 

Her eyes went wide.

 

“Everyone run!” She grabbed Gelbin and hunkered down. Summoning a protective bubble to surround as many people as possible. 

 

The explosions began.

 

Men were sent flying by the blast as three of her largest ships went up in smoke. Then the docks themselves exploded. Blast after blast of fire roaring against the coast.

 

Finally when the booming stopped and some of the smoke had cleared Jaina hesitantly let down the barrier. Immediately she was greeted by the smell of ash and the yelling of men.

 

Everywhere around her fires raged. What had once been the mightiest port in the alliance was now nothing but ruins. She counted twenty ships burning in the harbor ten of them looked as though they couldn't be saved. Countless bodies lay strewn around the now glazed beach.

 

As she took in the destruction her heart seized. Just as many innocents had been on the docks as sailors. Images came to mind of another explosion. Fire and ruin. The screams of her people. Then a deafening silence. 

 

She felt a white fury almost unlike anything she had felt before. For the second time the place she called home had been attacked. For the second time she watched as innocents died because she could not protect them in time. For the second time her power roared to life like never before.

 

As she reached her hand out towards the bay it glowed with the power of the arcane. She cast out her power searching for whatever caused this. She pulled the water back forcing it higher and higher into the air in an attempt to find it. 

 

Nothing.

 

Her anger deflated.

 

The arcane magic slowly died in her hand.

 

The furry left her leaving not but a hollow feeling in her chest and a dry taste in her mouth. Gelbin still stood beside her. His own face awash with fear and sadness. 

 

“What sort of thing holds the power to do this…?” He asked softly to no one. 

 

She had no answer. 

 

Then Jaina heard it. 

 

Screeching.

 

She looked up just in time to see another of those weird metal triangle things go flying back out to sea. With a frustrated sigh she let the water fall back into the sea with a mighty crash. 

 

Her mind quickly turned to her people. Portals needed to be opened to get people to healers. They needed to get ruined docks cleaned up and new temporary ones established so ships could enter and leave as required. Her mind ran a mile a minute as various emergency plans sprung into thought.

 

Then a green box landed in front of her attached to a giant white sheet.

 

For a moment she simply stared at it. The white sheets lightly blowing in the midday breeze. 

 

She stared at it in confusion. It stood just about as tall as Gelbin and about two Gelbins wide. The face had a large ring contraption set into it with a handful of dials and miniature levers set in a small grey square just to the left. Circling around it she found no other distinguishing features. 

 

Once again standing in front of it she frowned at it. Just as she thought to order the guards to take it up to the keep while she dealt with the surrounding chaos, a small red light suddenly started flashing on the top.

 

Without a second thought she threw up her barrier and braced.

 

One second.

 

Two seconds.

 

After a few moments without an explosion she opened one of her eyes. 

 

The box continued to blink but no explosion was forthcoming. 

 

Then it spoke.

 

**“This is Captain Daulten of The U.E.F. to whom am I speaking?”** Said the box as everyone froze.

 

“Miraculous.” Gelbin said breathlessly in aw.

 

Jaina quickly stoned her face and spoke. “This is Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore of Kul’tiras. Tell me why have you fired upon us?” She demanded.

 

There was a pause and then the box spoke again.

 

**“Why did you fire on us?”** It asked.

 

“So the flying machine was yours?” She counter asked.

 

Once again the box remained silent a moment.

 

**“You mean our scouting jet? Yes. It disappeared from our radar last night over your island. It is your island? Right?”** It spoke.

 

“So it’s called a jet.” She murmured. Putting that information away for latter she asked again. “Why did you fire on us?” 

 

**“...”** A weird scrambled noise came out of the box before suddenly stopping. 

 

“Everyone prepare in case they fire again.” She ordered. Pointing to a guard she continued. “Make sure all the civilians are a safe distance away. I don’t want any more innocent deaths today.”

 

**“I have a proposition for you Admiral.”** The box spoke again.

 

“And what would that be?” she asked tersely.

 

**“I’m currently ten nautical miles of your coast.”** Jaina froze solid.  **“If you promise me that no harm will come to me our my crew we can come to you to discuss matters further.”**

 

She looked at Gelbin and Gelbin looked at her. For a moment neither of them spoke. This was completely mind boggling. First the strange flying thing. Then the attack on their port. And now they wanted to meet with them?! Like nothing had even happened.

 

“Tell me why I should even consider this offer after you have so brazenly opened fire on me and my people.” She asked.

 

**“Because to spite what you may think we do not actively seek the destruction or death of your people. If there's a way to resolve this without violence I am more than eager to pursue it.”**

 

“Could you give us a moment?” She asked.

 

**“Of course.”**

 

She quickly pulled Gelbin away from the box and towards a more isolated part of the beach. Once they were a safe distance away from the box, or so she hoped, she began to pace and mutter to herself.

 

On the one hand it was entirely possible that the E.U.F, or whatever they called themselves, did indeed desire a peaceful resolution. On the other hand it could all be a trick for them to lower their defenses for an easy victory.

 

There was no correct answer. 

 

If she refused it could be taken as an insult leading to an escalation in conflicts. On the other hand if she accepted it would be like inviting a lion into her home. 

 

“I am completely in the dark.” Jaina said frustratedly. “By the light we don’t even know what species they are! Let alone their stance in the war. This could all be some elaborate Horde plan to destroy us!”

 

“Well I think it’s safe to assume that it’s not the Horde.” Gelbin said. “This technology is beyond them. Just as much as it is beyond us.”

 

“So what do I do Gelbin!? The people are scared and confused. There is  _ no _ right answer.” She said with frustration.

 

“So pick the lesser evil.” He told her.

* * *

 

Anduin was very confused. 

 

Jaina had requested he come to Boralis quickly. That what they had to discuss was of to high an importance to be discussed in letters and that she would explain once he arrived. And so with that pleasant letter he quickly made his way to the island city.

 

Only to be immediately escorted to the garden where Jaina sat, seemingly nonplussed, drinking tea.

 

“So you're telling me that a group of unknown origin and incredibly advanced technology attack Boralus, completely decimated your fleet, and started talking to you through some strange metal box. Is that correct?” He finished.

 

“Yes.” Jaina said sipping a cup of tea.

 

“And now this incredibly powerful group of people have decided that they are willing to come here to talk it out rather than continue to fight?” He continued.

 

“Yes.” Jaina responded a second time.

 

Anduin simply stared at her.

 

“You realize how insane this sound aunty?” He asked her.

 

She gave a sigh before responding. “I understand  _ just  _ how ridiculous it sounds Anduin. I barely believed it myself when it happened. Yet here we are. Everything I have told you is true and beside myself with worry over it.”

 

“Did you respond?”

 

“Yes. I told them to arrive at dawn tomorrow. It would greatly ease my mind to have the other Alliance leaders their with me.”

 

Anduin sighed. This day continued to get stranger and stranger. “I will gather the other Alliance leaders here to greet them. Although I do not know how well they will take to the situation.” Anduin told her.

 

“If you ask me it's better to play it safe.” A voice called from the entrance.

 

Jaina turned to see who it was and smiled upon seeing them.

 

Alleria had seen better days but it warmed her heart to see her in such good condition. 

 

The Void elf was walking towards them with her arms entwined with the life binders. Her ears were each wrapped up tightly in cloth and a small brace was sitting on her neck. 

 

“Alleria i’m glad to see you in good health. When I did not hear from you I started to fear the worst.” Jaina said while standing to hug the elf. 

 

“Well it’s gonna take a lot more than a loud noise to take me down.” Alleria said.

 

“Does anyone want to explain to me exactly how Alleria was hurt?” Anduin asked.

 

The three women stared at the high king for a moment. Finally Jaina moved over at sat across from him.

 

“There might have been slightly more to the story than I told you first.” She said to him.

 

Anduin raised his eyebrows. 

 


	3. As It Turns Out Water can, In Fact, Explode

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting between the Alliance Leadership and their strange visitors does not go to plan.
> 
> Meanwhile Sylvanas is having a very, very, unfortunate day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it took so long to get the next chapter out but I really struggled with the way I wanted the Horde interaction to play out. Besides that please enjoy. :D

Jaina stood with baited breath upon the great sea wall. The wind whipped around violently stirring the sea into a frenzy.

 

Such signs did not hold good omens for their coming meeting. 

 

The other Alliance leaders stood with her. Genn looked absolutely miserable having been absolutely drenched by a large spray of sea water. Tyrande stood with Malfurion a little to Jainas right. The night elf warrior looked every part the fierce warrior of Elune. Her armor glowed, even in the dim grey light, and her bow was tucked safely against her back. To spite this her eyes held worry, fear, anxiety. A common emotion among the gathered souls. 

 

“Your positive you said noon?” Anduin asked her.

 

The poor man looked horrible. His armor had him trapped in a permanent state of semy-wetness. His hair stuck to his forehead like glue and his face was gaunt. 

 

“Absolutely.” She responded though her sentence fell slightly as her eyes locked onto something in the distance. 

 

She could vaguely make out twenty individual shapes through the rain and haze. Then she heard it. 

 

A slight whirring sound.

 

It grew louder before suddenly stopping above their heads.

 

Before any of them had time to react a pair of ladders suddenly dropped among them. 

 

Every leader drew their weapons as they waited with baited breath. Slowly one by one figures began to emerge. The first ones to reach them were completely unfamiliar to her. They wore some kind of black fabric armor that covered them from head to toe. Each had a strange black headpiece resting on their head and a pair of goggles covering, what she assumed, were their eyes. They also held strange intricate devices that gave her an ominous feeling. 

 

All together there were about ten of them to the Alliances thirty or so. 

 

“Captain Daulten?” She asked.

 

None of the people(?) responded.

 

“Sorry, sorry.” A voice came from above. “The men just had to make sure everything was okay before I came down.” The voice continued as it drew closer. 

 

Finally another person reached the ground and turned to face them.

 

Every Alliance leader froze is shock.

 

He was  _ Human _ . Albeit the strangest dressed one Jaina had ever seen.

 

He wore a dark blue fabric with white trimmings. His breast was decorated with what looked to be many medals and he had a hat, the same color as his clothing, on his head.

 

“Lord Admiral Proudmoore, I assume.” The man said sticking out his hand.

 

Quickly shaking the shock from her body Jaina put a tight smile on her face and extended her own hand. 

 

“Captain Daulten I presume?” She asked.

 

“That would be me. Now while this greeting is wonderful I must admit the rain is not. Is their perhaps another place we could discuss matters?” He asked her.

 

“Of course. You and your men can follow us back to the keep.” She told him.

 

The man nodded before stepping back to relay the information to his entourage and, presumably, give them orders.

 

After a brief moment roughly half the men went back up the ladders. A minute after that the ladders themselves were pulled up and the whirring noise slowly disappeared into the distance. 

 

“After you.” Captain Daulten said waving his hand forward. 

 

And so they descended into the town.

* * *

 

Jaina kept looking at the man over her shoulder for the entire walk back to the keep. His walk was confident. Never tripping. Constant. It was clear he was a military man. His pace kept the exact same tempo of that of his men. 

 

He continued to gaze at boralus. It would seem to any regular person that he was simply taking it in. 

 

Not Jaina.

 

She could see the way his eyes darted from side to side every time they entered a new square. He was doing a threat assessment of her city. Any out of place details that could indicate something hidden. A crack. A spot of missing paint.

 

It continued even as they reached the keep. 

 

“What do you make of their weapons?” Anduin whispered from beside her.

 

“I do not know. The closest thing I could relate them to would be the Dwarvish rifles. Yet even those seem foreign when compared to the ones-”

 

“Ahem.” Jaina froze mid sentence as their guest cleared his throat. “There guns. You can call them guns.” He said with a single raised eyebrow.

 

She flushed at having been caught but maintained her straight face as she replied.

 

“It does not matter what they are. They shall have to be left here before we continue.”

 

A few of his men shifted uncomfortable but he remained stoic. “Of course.” He made a hand signal to his men and they quickly lifted the guns from their shoulders and dropped them on the ground.

 

Jaina, along with the other Alliance leaders stared in shock at how easily he released his weapons. 

 

He quirked his other brow as he continued. “These are talks in peace are they not? You have promised me that no harm shall come to us and I believe you. That is unless you plan to deceive us…? In which case this entire island will be blown to pieces.”

 

It was the way in which he casually threatened the death of her entire people that lit the fire in her gut once more.

 

“So you would destroy us then? Kill thousands of innocent people?!” She spat.

 

“Only a fool sticks their head into the lion's mouth without certainty.” He responded.

 

“And now you speak in riddles. These negotiations would take far less time if we discussed rather than bickered.” Anduin butted in. 

 

The man seemed surprised at Anduins' intrusion but that quickly faded into annoyance as he stared at the young king.

 

“And who, may I ask, are you to speak with such authority?” Daulten asked candidly.

 

“I had hoped to wait until we were fully within the keep to do introductions but I suppose anywhere will do.” Jaina responded tursley. “May I introduce to you: King Genn Greymane of Gilneas, High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, you of course know of me already, and finally King Anduin Wrynn of Stormwind and High King of the Alliance.”

 

Jaina smirked a little at the end as they stood together. Their combined status and power bringing a great boon of confidence Jaina desperately needed. 

 

Only to have that confidence ripped away as Captain Daulten seemed entirely unfazed by them.  He simply nodded his head and waited for her to continue forward. 

* * *

 

“...and that would just be the start.” Anduin finished.

 

The gathered leaders were all sat around the dining table in Boralus keep. Captain Daulten sat at the far end, a good five feet from the Alliance leaders, as he read over the document.

 

Jaina watched with bated breath as he put it down.

 

“As much as this deal seems perfect i’m afraid I can’t sign it.” He said.

 

Jaina stared at him slack jawed, as did the others.

 

“What do you mean you can’t sign it?!” Genn demanded angrily.

 

Daulten appeared entirely unfazed by Genns’ outburst. Rather he simply wiped his glasses on his uniform and sighed.

 

“I mean what I say. While this is a lovely piece of legal craftsmanship I do not hold the authority to sign it. And I quote ‘This agreement shall be binding between the leaders of the parties present. By seal of Arcane all faction leaders are bound to its ruling.’ end quote. I am not the leader of my people.”

 

“Then who is?” Jaina asked.

 

“That would be-” Daulten began but was interrupted as one of his men burst into the room holding a small metal box in his hand. 

 

“Captain! The Lord Commander is requesting to speak to you.”

 

“Now? Does he not know that I am in the middle of ceasefire negotiations with a potential hostile party?” Daulten asked agitatedly.

 

The other man didn’t respond but a silent conversation seemed to pass between the two. Jaian wondered if perhaps they might be speaking psychically. After a few more moments of tense silence Jaina watched disappointedly as Daulten stood from the table. She watched as he stormed over to the man and ripped the box from his hands. He then put it against his ear and stood silent.

 

She could just faintly make out the noise of someone talking from the box but could not discern the words. She tried to listen in but was spotted by the captain who took a couple steps further away. Frustrated at having been caught, again, she decided to analyse the box itself. 

 

It was very similar to the one that had dropped by what used to be the harbor. It was rectangular in shape and made of metal. Three black knobs of decreasing size sat along the side while a tall thin metal stick jutted out from the top.

 

Finally after what felt like hours the captain pulled the box from his ear and shoved it into his soldiers arms. Then he stomped back to the table.

 

“I guess it’s your lucky day.” He said. “Our leader wants to speak with you. In person.”

 

Jaina looked at him in surprise but before she could get a word in edgewise Daulten was already heading towards the door. He stopped right before leaving and turned his head to speak to them.

 

“I will contact you with a travel plan shortly.” 

 

Then he was gone.

 

They all sat there for a moment in stunned silence.

 

Then the room exploded into shouting.

* * *

 

Sylvanas Windrunner stared at the Human in front of her. 

 

Twenty ships sunk.

 

A hundred soldiers dead.

 

Half of Orgrimmar in flames and ruin.

 

All because of one measly Human.

 

“I’ll give it to your Boy King this was entirely unexpected.”

 

The Human didn’t respond. Not that they could anyway. She was tied to a chair in a cell beneath the city. Ropes restraining her arms and legs while a piece of cloth gagged her mouth. 

 

Sylvanas circled her like a hawk. Eyes narrowed onto the woman's mortal form. Watching for any possible tells that might answer her questions. 

 

“I have the goblins picking apart your strange vessel. What is left of it anyway. I don’t hold hope of being able to reverse engineer it completely but what we've found so far has been  _ quite _ enlightening.”

 

No reaction.

 

Sylvanas stopped in front of the woman and stared directly into her eyes.Then she removed the gag. Burning red met forest green as the Banshee posed her first question. 

 

“So tell me this. What was your target?”

 

Silence.

 

Like a whip Sylvanas right hand struck out against the Humans face. The womans' head snapped to the side as a little trickle of blood fell from her nose. The Warchief grabbed her chin with the fore fingers of her other hand and pulled the humans gaze back towards her.

 

“Surely your life isn’t worth the name of your target? Tell me what I wish to know and you may yet live to see another day.”

 

The human contemplated for a second before a wicked smile flashed across their face. Before Sylvanas could pull away the Humans head snapped forward into her own with a heavy smack.

 

“Je ne réponds pas aux femmes les plus faibles. Même s'ils sont aussi beaux que toi.” The Human said with a victorious smirk.

 

Sylvanas had no idea what had just been said to her but gathered that it was an insult nonetheless. She smiled. Perhaps today would not be as boring as she thought.

 

Yet before she could move forward with the interrogation a small metal can suddenly landed between her feet. Her eyebrows quirked in surprise as she bent down to pick it up. 

 

Only for it to start spewing smoke the moment she stood straight. 

 

The next couple of minutes were complete chaos.

 

Immediately following the smoke an explosion went off to her right sending her careening into a wall. She could vaguely make out multiple shapes moving through the fog but the smoke was so heavy she could barely see. 

 

As she staggered to her feet she could hear the sounds of combat above her as the assailants attempted to flee.

 

She looked to her left only to be greeted with an empty chair. Not five seconds later Nathanos appeared beside her and helped her to her feet.

 

“Follow them. Now!” She barked.

* * *

 

The streets of the city were in chaos as the small extraction platoon b-lined it for the coast. 

 

Countless orcs and trolls threw themselves at the humans but found themselves mowed down like nothing.

 

Yet there were some who would not be so easily defeated.

 

“God damn this son of a bitch won’t go down.” Kaden yelled out to her comrades as they took shelter from a wave of battery fire. 

 

Their were seven of them in total. Kaden, Markus, Lucil, Vivien, Josh, and their squad leader, Carter. They had been hounded by the city guards for their entire evacuation but the man following them was no regular guard.

 

He stared at them from across the ruined street. His red glowing eyes never blinking never looking away. 

 

Kaden figured the only reason he hadn’t attacked was because of the coastal bombardment currently laying waste to the city. 

 

While Kaden kept her eyes on their follower Markus and Lucil were attempting to stem the flow of blood from Viviens’ nose. 

 

“Aie!” The french woman called out as Markus pressed a cold cloth to her broken nose. 

 

“Ya, ya, I know it hurts but it’s not my fault you headbutted their leader  _ after _ having already seen us.” He replied tursley. 

 

“Ah, mais vous n’avez pas obtenu le même sentiment de satisfaction que moi.” She responded.

 

“I don’t care how satisfying it was to hit her the point is that you didn’t need to. In fact-”

 

“Quite!” Carter ordered.

 

Everyone immediately fell silent. 

 

Nothing could be heard except the burning of fires and the wind through the air.

 

“They stopped firing? Why?” Lucil asked aloud.

 

There answer was soon given as a massive bolt of lightning suddenly streaked across the naked sky and flew towards the port. A second later a massive explosion could be heard. 

 

The tips of the cloud just barely visible from their position. 

 

“Shit!” Kaden exclaimed as her eyes were briefly drawn towards the boom. Her eyes then immediately widened as she snapped her head back towards the other side of the street. 

 

He was gone.

 

“Shit. I’ve lost track of the boggy.” She said.

 

Everyone immediately went on high alert. Their rifles raised as they tensed in anticipation. 

 

Carter just barely heard the drawing of a bow string and snapped his head to the side. Just as he did so an arrow flew past him and embedded itself in the wall. The captain swiftly turned around and returned fire. Managing to catch their attacker in the shoulder throwing him back. 

 

“Move, move!” Carter ordered as the hunter staggered back to his feet. 

 

The whole squad immediately fled out into the street. They ran like hell as arrow after arrow came at them from behind. Then another hunter joined in from their right. Then the left. It quickly turned into a firing line as arrows whizzed past them in a crossfire. Their only saving grace seemed to be the lightning strikes which created enough of a blast to throw off the archers aim.

 

They had almost escaped to the water when a cloud of purple smoke suddenly dove in front of them. 

 

The squad immediately went into a defensive formation as the smoke slowly circled them. Obscuring any possible window of escape. 

 

Slowly one by one the archers stepped through it. Seven Elven women in total plus the Human man stood in a semi-circle blocking their escape as the smoke finally began to coalesse. It gathered right in front of carter as it took the shape of an Elven woman. Their leader.

 

The Elf paused for a moment, once she was fully formed, to gaze at the destruction around them.

 

“This has been a most interesting day.” She began. “First, a being almost faster than the eye can see screeches through our sky and begins to attack us, then once we’ve finally brought it down it turns out to be a  _ Human _ .” She said as she gazed directly into Carters eyes.

 

He did not reply.

 

“Secondly, a massive  _ meta _ l fleet suddenly arrives off our coast and begins to shell the city,  _ right _ as my one prisoner with answers to my  _ many _ questions is sprung from my jail.”

 

His face dropped to one of reservation as the Elf began to smirk. 

 

“And now here you stand before me. Slaughterers of the city guards. Enemy agents on home soil. Like prey right before the kill.” She slowly pulls her bow off her back as she says this. 

 

Nocking an arrow right against his forehead she smirks.

 

“Any last words?” She asks him.

 

Suddenly the fear in his eyes disappears. She narrows her own eyes in confusion and presses her arrow more firmly against his head. He simply smiles.

 

It’s lazy and arrogant and it irritates her beyond belief. It is the smirk of a man who thinks he has won.

 

“I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you. You're in quite the precarious position.” She tells him.

 

He just continues to smile.

 

Right as Sylvanas patience runs out a cough comes from behind her. In an instant she swirls around. Ready to kill who ever stood behind her.

 

Only to stare in shock at the small army of Humans that stand before her.

 

‘She is absolutely gorgeous.’ Is the first thought Sylvanas has as she sees her. A Human woman standing in front of the army.

 

Fierce purple eyes meet her own as the woman walks forward. She has fiery red hair cut ridiculously short and a small scar across her left eye. A button nose leads down to sinfully red lips. Her attire is odd. A white suit of some kind with gold buttons up the jacket and blue trimming down the side. 

 

It is not however the first pretty face to turn her head and so, clearing her head, Sylvanas slowly lowers her bow. Her rangers taking it as a sign to lower their own. 

 

The men behind the woman keep their weapons raised.

 

Finally they are less than three feet apart. They both size each other up for a moment as the tension reaches a point so thick it could be cut with a knife. 

 

Sylvanas watches as the woman slowly raises her hand and snaps her finger. 

 

Immediately Sylvanas braces. Her muscles tightening as she prepared for the worst. 

 

The soldiers behind the woman lower their guns. 

 

She hears the collective sigh of relief from the humans behind her but pays them no mind as the enemy commander opens her mouth.

 

“Parley?” She says with a smirk.

* * *

 

“Je ne réponds pas aux femmes les plus faibles. Même s'ils sont aussi beaux que toi. Roughly translates to.” - “I do not answer to weaker women. Even if they are as beautiful as you.”

 

“Aie!” - “Ouch!”

 

“Ah, mais vous n’avez pas obtenu le même sentiment de satisfaction que moi.” Roughly translates to. - “Ah, but you did not get the same sense of satisfaction from it as I did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. As always feel free to leave a comment but try to keep it kind. Constructive criticism is always welcome.


	4. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Horde finds its rebellion ended by an untimely invasion as Jaina suffers from mysterious dreams that have her asking more and more questions about their strange new visitors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know two chapters in such quick succession! 
> 
> Just so you all know I don't really have a schedule fore updates. The chapters just kinda get written when inspiration comes to mind. Besides that I'm sorry this one is so short. It's more of a filler chapter to introduce some stuff for latter and get us moving towards the stuff i'm really excited to write. 
> 
> As always I hope you enjoy.

Saurfang stared at the gates of Orgrimmar.

 

He had never dared to believe he would see them again in peace.

 

What was left of them anyway.

 

Bits of rubble lay strewn across the ground. Bodies still smoking as small fires raged. His eyes turned to the port of Galakras. There he saw the metal behemoths he had been warned about.

 

_ “Please High Overlord I beg of you. The words I carry are  _ true! _ ”  _

 

_ Saurfang stared at the forsaken man for a moment. Allowing the wait of his answer to push the missive further into his fear.  _

 

_ Fear was good. Fear kept people honest. _

 

_ Baine and Thrall stared at him with impartial looks.  _

 

_ This was his decision and they would follow his lead. Finally he leaned forward. _

 

_ “Tell me what she has to say.” _

 

“...A floating fortress.” He muttered under his breath.

 

That was honestly the best way to describe what he saw. 

 

A massive metal  _ thing _ sat in the harbor. No, not sat in, occupied the harbor. The thing was so big it took up the entire coast. The thing was so massive it made the city gates he was right in front of seem short in comparison.

 

He lifted a hand to cover his eyes from the sun as he noticed movement at said docks. Hundreds of small humanoid figures rushing around. He couldn't see what they were specifically doing but he did not need to. It did not take a genius to spot an occupying force.

 

“It is truly impressive…” Baine said in aw. 

 

“It is. And that is what scares me.” Thrall responded. Turning their gazes from the impressive feet of engineering. They once more stood awkwardly before the ruined city. 

 

“How long are we supposed to wait?” Baine asked.

 

“She did not say. Just to arrive around midday and that we would be let in.” Saurfang responded.

 

So they waited.

 

The longer they waited the more antsy the old Orc became. His mind wandering to images of betrayal. Their heads mounted on spikes. Their risen bodies forced to commit the most heinous of atrocities. 

 

He would not put it past the Banshee for this to have all been a trick. 

 

A shame to lure them into the open.

 

He went to voice as much but was interrupted by the gates opening. 

 

Where he expected to see the Warcheif herself escorted by her rangers, a small group of Humans in strange clothing came through. Immediately all three of them dropped into defensive postures with their weapons in hand. 

 

He watched as the humans marched out in perfect columns. Four wide and about seven or nine deep. A challenge but winnable.

 

When the small force did not move straight into an attack. He took a moment to analyse them. Deep green uniforms made from some form of cloth or fabric. They wore the strangest looking helmets on their heads that seemed to be equipped with small black cylinders.

 

Their weapons on the other hand were a complete mystery.

 

In all his time alive he had never seen anything like them. 

 

It made him all the wearier. 

 

They stood in a tense silence for multiple moments. Weapons raised and minds blank. 

 

“There will be no need for that today, High Overlord.” A vice commented as the gathered humans split revealing…

 

“Nathanos.” Baine growled. 

 

“High Chieftain. Thrall. A pleasure.” He stood in front of the humans now. With a wave of his hand they gathered forces lowered their strange weapons. 

 

“What is the meaning of this, Blightcaller!” Suarfang demanded.

 

“In time. In time. For now the Warcheif expects your presence.”

 

With that Nathanos turned around and began to walk back into the city. Even as he rounded the next corner the humans had not moved.

 

“I guess we don’t have a choice.” Thrall said. 

 

“I guess not.” Saurfang responded. 

 

Then all three entered the city.

* * *

 

 

Jaina awoke with a gasp. Her sheets clutched tightly against her chest. Small rivets of sweat rolled down her face as she wiped it off with her other hand. 

 

Her room was dark. The sun had not yet risen and the people of Boralus still slept peacefully in the night.

 

Just through the window she could their guests ships. 

 

Hulking metal behemoths that sat on the waves. Softly rocking with the tides.

 

As her heart calmed and her breathing evened she sat up fully. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed and rising slowly. She threw of an evening gown and lit a small candle in a candle holder. 

 

The library was silent as she entered. The vast tombs of her people's history before her. Yet that is not what she sought. 

 

The specific book she was looking for was buried deep in the back of the library. So when she found it, she had to wipe of the dirt and grime that had built on it. 

 

“The Known Worlds…” She muttered aloud. “A collection of every world known.”

 

She brought the book to a table and sat down.

 

Opening it she began to look for the information she sought. Eventually she reached the page on Azeroth, she almost skipped it, but a single line of text caught her eye.

 

“Soe- or Earth in common -is the twin sister planet of Azeroth. For more information, turn to page twenty four.”

 

Doing so her eyes widened at what she saw. 

 

A map of the planet was inscribed in the book and as she ran her hand over it a memory came to mind. 

 

_ A few hours after the meeting had adjourned Jaina and the other Alliance leaders had been invited for a personal tour of one of their ships.  _

 

_ Arriving at the dock Jaina was struck speechless by the sheer size of it. The boat was smaller than the other ones in the fleet but easily dwarfed even the gunboat.  _

 

_ She was, however, confused by the symbol painted in bright blue on the side.  _

 

_ “What is that symbol?” She asked. _

 

_ Captain Daulten turned to her and smiled as he answered cheerfully. _

 

_ “That, Lady Proudmoore, is the symbol of our people.” _

 

Coming back to herself she looked at the map once more. 

 

“Their identical…” She whispered.

 

Before she could continue to investigate the door to the library opened. Slamming the book closed Jaina turned to face the intruder. She relaxed upon seeing that it was only Anduin. Hi hair was a mess. Sticking up all over the place as large bags gathered under his eyes.

 

“Oh..Aunty. I didn’t expect to...yawn...see you here.” He said.

 

Jaina put on a small smile as she stood from the table. “Just a bit of light reading.” She told him.

 

His eyes moved from her to the book the back again as he raised his eyebrows. “If that is light reading then I struggle to imagine what a long read must look like.” He said as he released another yawn. His hands stretching above his head.

 

_ Arms reaching out to her. People screaming. Bright yellow lights flashing in the sky. _

 

Shaking her head she moved to escort him out of the room.

 

She would have to investigate further later. 

* * *

 

 

_ Dalaran was empty around her. A vicious wind ripped by her as the dark clouds above gave an ominous rumble. _

 

_ The once lively streets now silent as the grave. No light came from the houses. No sound came from the markets. _

 

_ The only thing that was constant was the bright yellow lights moving through the sky. _

 

_ Jaina ducked around a corner as a small platoon of soldiers marched by.  _

 

_ She watched as they B-lined for one of the nearby shops and kicked in the door. She could hear screaming. A man pleading for the lives of his family.  _

 

_ A bang. _

 

_ Then the sobbing of a child. _

 

_ The mother too began to beg. _

 

_ Bang! _

 

_ Then the child cried harder.  _

 

_ Bang! _

 

_ Silence. _

 

_ “All clear.” She heard one of the soldiers say. “The High Commander will reward us well for our service.” _

 

_ She felt her magic run hot through her veins. Swirls of ice magic dancing up her arm and at the tip of her staff. _

 

_ Suddenly two hands grabbed her from behind and yanked her back into- _

 

Her eyes opened slowly. 

 

The light of the sun shining brightly into her eyes. 

 

She sat up as she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. 

 

“Another dream. What are they trying to tell me? The future? Or is it a metaphor?” Her thoughts were interrupted as she winced in pain. The sudden train of thoughts had come in to quick for her brain as a headache began to form behind her temples. 

 

Then there was a soft knock at the door.

 

“Come in she called.”

 

A single guards entered and stood at attention. 

 

“Captain Daulten has delivered this message. For your eyes only.” She said as she extended the folded scroll towards her.

 

“Thank you. Vala. You are free to return to your post.”

 

“Tides with you Lord Admiral.”

 

“With you as well.”

 

The guard made a quick exit. The door closing softly behind her.

 

Jaina took a moment to compose herself and then opened the scroll.

 

_ Dear Lady Proudmoore _

 

_ I would like to start by apologizing for not delivering this in person. I have found myself recently indisposed and so I must resort to penmanship. _

 

_ Secondly I am glad to say that we have devised a route to our capital city. We shall be leaving in five days. I hope that gives you and your Alliance enough time to prepare.  _

 

_ Signed _

 

_ Captain James Daulten _

 

Jaina stared at the letter for a moment before furrowing her brow.

 

“What in the world is a pen?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave a comment. Constructive criticism is always helpful but I ask that it be respectful as well.


	5. Same Story, Same Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Small snipets as a few Alliance leaders get their first taste of theses strange humans ships.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait time between chapters. University has been brutal.

Vereesa stared at the behemoth of a ship before her.

 

It was certainly not what she had expected when Jaina had written to her requesting her presence on a diplomatic mission. 

 

Yet their it stood. Almost as tall as the harbour wall and nearly too long to fit in the docks. Humans in bright white uniforms ran about around her. Hauling supplies into the ship through large doors in the side or communicating further orders to other sailors. 

 

“It’s quite impressive isn’t it?” She heard from behind her. 

 

Turning she starred in surprise before a large smile broke across her face. She quickly walked over and pulled Alleria into a hug.

 

As she embraced her sister she let a small sigh escaped her lips.

 

Slowly the two pulled apart. Veressa letting her arms fall to her side while Alleria’s remained on her shoulder.

 

“It is good to see you little moon.” Alleria said with a smile.

 

“It is good to see you as well Lady Sun, although I wish it were under different circumstances.” Veressa responded.

 

“I assume Jaina invited you?” Alleria asked.

 

Veressa nodded as she spoke. “That she did, although I must admit, I did not expect...this.” As she finished she waved her arms to the hulking behemoth beside them. 

 

“They are strange aren't they. Their people even stranger.” Alleria responded.

 

They were interrupted as the ship suddenly let loose and horrendously loud noise that had both Elves covering their ears.

 

After a moment of silence following the blast a sailor leaned over the railing and started shouting.

 

“ALL ABOARD!”

 

With little else to do the two elves slowly, and with a great deal of caution, boarded the ship. 

* * *

 

 

“Sir word just came in from Beijing!” 

 

The whole command center fell silent. Every person in the room held a collective breath as they waited in anticipation. One man, at the far back, stepped forward. He was almost six and a half feet tall, his dark brown hair short and straight in a military cut, as piercing green eyes glared down at the messenger. His lips settled in a deep frown as he glared at the cowering soldiers.

 

“Well! What does it say?!” He barked out.

 

The poor soldier flinched at the loud tone before clearing his throat and stuttering out the message. 

 

“Ch-china has f-fallen. The Americas are all that remain, sir.”

 

The room was completely silent. No one knew what to say. 

 

“Their armies?” The tall man asked in a low timber.

 

The messenger swallowed once before shaking his head.

 

If even possible the frown seemed to grow more severe but he remained silent. 

 

The soldier in the room grew antsy at his continued silence. Some began to shuffle as panicked whispers began to spread. Growing in severity and volume until everyone was in a full panic. 

 

“ENOUGH!” He shouted.

 

Everyone stilled. Their shouts quieting as they focused on the Lord Commander. 

 

The commander took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing.

 

“Get everyone to the evacuation point. I...am authorizing...operation fail safe.” He said lowly.

 

“Sir?” The messenger asked hesitantly.

 

“That was an order soldiers!” He yelled out.

 

The room exploded into chaos one more but rather than the panicked cries of despair it was an organized chaos as everyone moved to fulfill their necessary tasks. All the while the Lord Commander stared at the key in his hand. 

* * *

 

 

Alleria had never been a fan of sailing. 

 

Even during times of peace the Elves held a deep aversion to the ocean. They were a land based people, hunters and soldiers, mages and paladins, not sailors. 

 

So as their metal ship rocked through the oceans she had decided to confine herself to her room. Her nausea roaring nearly as loud as the incessant whispers of the void. 

 

_ Leave! Leave! Turn away! The cracker of worlds grows closer! Flee! _

 

She let a groan leak from her lips. Only to sigh as Alexstrasza gently ran her hand down her side, releasing a light healing pulse into her skin. 

 

_ World breaker! Planet killer! Leave, LEAVE! _

 

She desperately grasped for the strange black bin they had given her as she felt her small breakfast empty from her stomach. The void continuing to shriek as she heaved up what little she had. 

 

When finally the voices quieted and her stomach no longer felt like a gnome and goblin were fighting within it did she return to lie fully upon the bed.

 

She was almost asleep when she heard the door open. 

 

She felt Alexstrasza's hands tighten were they rested on her hips as she gazed upon the form of Captain Daulten. 

 

He gazed upon her with a look of pity. She hated it but was far too sick to do anything about it. 

 

“I heard you weren't feeling so good so I brought you something to help.” He tried to whisper softly. 

 

Unfortunately his voice was still to loud for her sensitive ears and she found herself hurling into the bin once more. The Captain at least had the decency to look guilty as she emptied her stomach of nothing.

 

As she continued to hurl he moved over to speak to her lover.

 

“It’s a form of medicine, pop one out of the foil, and have her swallow it with some water. It should help calm her stomach.” He told her.

 

The dragon grabbed the strange thin metal package from him and stared at it in confusion.

 

After a few moments of staring the Captain slowly reached over and demonstrated. Pressing his thumb against one of the clear bubbles, pushing the weird light pink disk out, and handing it to the dragon. By that point Alleria had finished throwing up and was attempting to curl as far into her lover as possible. With some fanegaling Alexstrasza managed to get Alleria into a position were she could swallow the medicine. The Elf letting out a soft sigh after a few moments.

 

Just as the world began to fade she heard one last whisper.

 

_ We must flee! Flee from the one who can erase everything... _

* * *

 

 

To spite the strange circumstances in which she had found herself Jaina still took great pleasure in the act of sailing.

 

The ocean breeze, the sea spray on her face, it brought memories of happier times. Sailing with her father and brother in the bay.

 

Yet it was also different. 

 

Great plumes of smoke bellowed out from large pipes in the middle of the ship. Coating the otherwise fresh air with a metallic acrid smell. She could feel the hum of the ship as it churned through the waves. Members of the crew ran past her in every direction.

 

She was so overwhelmed that she failed to notice captain Daulton approaching her until he touched her shoulder. At the unexpected touch she immediately tensed as a small bolt of arcane lightning shocked the offending hand.

 

With a yelp the good captain jumped back a good few feet and began to nurse his hand. A light blush danced across Jaina face; embarrassed that she had reacted in a way that compromised her control over her magic.

 

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to harm you.” Jaina said embarrassed.

 

“It’s nothing really. I am far more concerned over how I got the injury than the injury itself.” Daulten said with a light laugh. 

 

“You are unfamiliar with the arcane?” She asked him as she gazed unbelievingly at the carious ships sailing beside their own.

 

He let out a much louder laugh before responding. 

 

“No no no. These ships run on fuel, nuclear to be specific, no magic at all. Your lightning on the other hand is truly something.”

 

She found the idea that such a simple magical accident could be considered amazing but then again the captain seemed completely unfazed by their massive ships so perhaps she was not one to judge. 

 

Rather than try to explain how her magic worked, and her subsequent embarrassing reaction to a polite shoulder tap, she decided to change the subject. 

 

“I must admit i’ve never seen cannons quite like the ones on your ships.” 

 

To spite the non sequitur she was genuinely curious. 

 

The larger ships seemed to have some form of a triple barreled cannon along with strange mounted versions of the guns she had seen Daultens men carrying in Kul Tiras. 

 

“Would you like a demonstration?” He asked her with a smirk.

 

She masked her surprise at the ease in which he spoke of firing the weapon but pushed that aside in favour of gleaming any information she could. 

 

“If you wouldn’t mind…” She trailed off.

 

The captain nodded before yelling at one of the men to prep the nearest cannon to fire. 

 

“What would you like us to hit?” He asked her.

 

She turned her gaze to the surrounding ocean, noticing a small chain of islands that sat at increasing distance away from the ship. 

 

“That nearest island port side.” She told him.

 

“Really? That's hardly anything but if that's what you wish…” He told her in a mocking tone.

 

“The farthest. Island.” She grit out. Unappreciative of the mocking tone the captain held.

 

“An excellent choice.” He told her with a smirk.

 

Jaina realized as the captain moved to give his orders that she had just played into his hand. Irritated that she had been manipulated so easily she took a small amount of pleasure in the fact that it was in now way possible for them to hit the island. 

 

Captain Daulted lead her a good distance away from the cannon before clearing his throat. 

 

“Fire!” He shouted out.

 

Jaina expected a boom, all cannons boomed, what she did not expect was for the cannons to be so loud she could feel the blast wave. 

 

With a mighty roar all three cannons fired, the hole ship lurching from the force of it.

 

Once her ears had stopped ringing she turned her gaze out towards the island. She expected to watch the cannons hit the ocean not even a hundred yards out but was stunned into silence as she watched the farthest island erupt as the cannons struck true.

 

She was so stunned that she failed to notice the other leaders join her on deck, confused at the boom. 

 

“Best be careful Lord Admiral, I'd hate to have to fish your jaw out of the ocean.” Daulten taunted as he moved to enter the lower decks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed. As always feel free to leave a comment, constructive criticism is always welcome, just try and keep it respectful.


	6. Like a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the Horde and the Alliance have discovered the home land of Azeroths' newest residents. Now if only they had known that the other would be there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken me so long to update between chapters. I just needed some time to recover from burnout. Thank you for being patient with me.

Sylvanas was impressed. The city she and her fellow Horde leaders found themselves in was a truly wondrous place. If not unnerving in its clarity. 

 

Massive glass towers stretched into the sky as large motor vehicles flew past them at unthinkable speeds. The very dirt beneath their feet exchanged for white stone and cobbled paths. 

 

Yet there was also something unnatural about it. Yes it was clean and white but everything seemed...forced. The trees placed at almost perfect intervals. Gardens lay perfectly symmetrical across streets. It was the most beautiful use of nature in a most uncanny way.

 

“...the bank is open from seven till nine on weekdays and eight till eight on weekends.”

 

The Lord Commander. 

 

For the entire journey from Orgrimmar to Geneva their escort had talked about him like one would a god. Words full of reverence and tales filled with warnings. 

 

Yet he was no more than a human, an un-magical one at that, which begged the question. If he was so normal, what had he done to gain such a reputation? 

 

“Am I boring you Warchief?” 

 

She was pulled from her thoughts as the Lord Commander addressed her. His eye brow was raised and a teasing smirk pulled at his lips. It infuriated her how confident he was but they needed allies so she would play the part. There would be time for corrective action later.

 

“Not at all Commander. Simply taking in the sites.” She responded as she disguised her checking of the surroundings with a nonchalant gaze across the docks. 

 

It was obvious he didn’t believe her, if the souring of his face was anything to go by, but he let it slip. Rather he vacated the vehicle and patiently stood facing the ocean.

 

“Is there a reason we have returned to the docks?” Baine asked ever the polite one.

 

“Well originally I had planned on getting you all settled  _ before _ the other guests arrived but I have been notified that they are ahead of schedule and should be arriving any minute.” He told them as he pulled a watch from his pocket and checked the time.

 

If the city had messed with her senses that announcement threw a wrench in her plans.

 

“Other guests?” She asked trying her hardest to disguise her anger as surprise.

 

“Well yes. What did you think? That I would be so stupid as to just sign the soul of my people away without checking all my options? And here I was thinking you were a strategist.” He teased, turning away just in time to miss her murderous glare. 

 

Before she had the chance to retort the horizon suddenly began to shimmer. What came threw made many of the Horde leaders reach for their weapons. 

 

The Grand Fleet of New Geneva was an impressive sight to behold, she could begrudgingly admit that. With its hundreds of gleaming metal ships and fast speeds it was truly something to be feared. 

 

What followed them though made her hackles raise.

 

As the Grand Fleet veered off to their own dock hidden behind the ridge it revealed the competition. Roughly a dozen Kul Tiran war ships sailed toward the civilian docks. 

 

And at the forefront stood one Jaina Proudmoore.

* * *

Jaina gave a look of confusion as their Kul Tiran ships continued to float aimlessly in the middle of the ocean. All around her various sailors were scrambling to try and do...something. They yelled words and code she could not decipher as the entire ship began to explode into chaos.

 

“Is there a particular reason were just floating aimlessly?” She finally asked Captain Daulten as her patience wore thin.

 

“Well we’re a bit ahead of schedule so we're just trying to align to the right frequency to pass through the barrier.” He told her as he signed a piece of paper that had been unceremoniously shoved into his hands. 

 

“Barrier?” Gelbin asked in surprise. “But I don’t feel any arcane energy?”

 

That much was true. Jaina could feel no magical energies around them nor sense any non arcane manipulations. 

 

“Well that’s because it uses science not magic. Just give us another couple minutes and we’ll show you.” The captain told them as he rushed off to do whatever he needed to do.

 

“This is all getting terribly confusing.” Anduin admitted to her as he tried to make sense of it all. 

 

“You and me both Anduin, you and me both…” She responded as something caught the corner of her eye. 

 

It was a slight shimmer, like a reflection, it had only been their for a moment but long enough to draw her gaze. Slowly she reached her hand out, trying to sense what had caused the mirage. Yet just as her hand was about to touch whatever it was she found it forcefully yanked back. 

 

She glared at the young sailor who had dared to grab her wrist before relaxing at his apologetic look. 

 

“Sorry mam couldn’t let you do that.” He tried to explain.

 

“And why is that exactly?” Tyrande asked as she caught wind of the conversation. 

 

Rather than tell them the sailor grabbed a small rock of the deck and chucked it as hard as he could overboard. 

 

She expected it to go about ten metres before splashing but what actually happened was far more alarming. Just as it crossed over the railing it seemed to hit some kind of energy. A bright circle of white hot light flashing into existence and searing the rock into nothingness before going back to being calm ocean.

 

Her eyes and mouth were wide like a fish as she tucked her hand protectively against her chest. 

 

“What in the world was that?!” Genn demanded angrily.

 

“That would be the defence grid.” Captain Dualten replied as he rejoined them. “Best defence in the world. Better than mines or guns, not that we don’t have those too but their pretty secondary compared to the grid.” 

 

Jaina had so many questions but before she could ask them even more were created as the ocean horizon began to disappear before their very eyes. Slowly retreating until an entire island suddenly appeared before their very eyes. 

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the Alliance I give you New Geneva, capital city to the humans of Earth.” 

 

Jaina stared in wonder at the gleaming city that had suddenly materialized before them. Tall glass towers and white marble buildings blended in beautifully with the natural vegetation and tropical forestry behind it.

 

“Wow…” She heard Anduin breath beside her. She very much shared his sentiment. 

 

The moment was ruined however as the lead ships in front of them peeled away revealing the black pointed forms of the Horde fleet, more specifically, the Banshee’s Wail. Its black canopy and dark wood standing in deep contrast to the white city behind it. 

 

And just at the front of the docks she could make out one Sylvanas Windrunner. She stood glaring at their approaching ships with the other Horde leaders behind her. 

 

Things had certainly just got more complicated.


	7. New Lands and Old Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Alliance and Horde are both so similar and oh so very different. This is a lesson the Lord Commander is picking up quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know so many updates in such a short period of time. I have no reason, sometimes the chapters come easier than others.

_Vereesa gave a small sigh as she stared out at the world around her. Bright green grass flowing gently in the warm summer wind. Around her families and loved ones went about their business. A light chuckle beside her had her turning her head to stare into the eyes of her beloved Rhonin. His warm eyes and chiseled features making her heart flutter like the leaves in the trees._

 

_“My love what is going through that wonderful mind of yours?” He asked her._

 

_“I’m happy.” She told him and was nearly startled by how true it was._

 

_She was happy. Her husband lay beside her on a blanket as they watched their children play with their cousins and aunts. Sylvanas chasing Alleria and Galadin with Giramar on her own shoulders. Jaina stood just off to the side, smiling a great big smile, talking with Alexstrasza while holding her own child against her chest._

 

_The world was perfect._

 

_And of course that’s when it all began to go wrong._

 

_All at once the sun was blocked by swirling grey clouds. The wind, once gentle, now roared against her ears. Green lightning forked across the sky followed by massive cracks of thunder._

 

_“No, not here, not now…” Rhonin said desperately beside her._

 

_“What are-” Her voice caught in her throat as the man she loved seemed to faze in and out of focus. His red hair shifting to brown and back again. His eyes turning a bright orange as his chiseled features hardened with scarred skin. Where once Rhonin had been praising her with love and kind words The Lord Commander now starred in open panic._

 

_“Quick Lyla grab the kids and run to the bunker, just like we planned.” He ordered her. His voice low and dangerous with no indication that he expected her to question him._

 

_And to spite her own thoughts her body did as he said. She dashed forward to grab their daughters before sprinting towards the city. She risked looking up only once and immediately regretted it._

 

_Right above them, a deep green portal opened, cleaving through the clouds like a hot knife through butter. Around them millions of people screamed in horror as ball of green fire descended from the sky. It crashed into a nearby skyscraper, carving out the buildings supports and landing with a thunderous boom in the street in front of her._

 

_She was frozen in place as she watched the towering infernal rise from the hole in the street. Its massive black claws ripping out chunks of the pavement as it rose. Then her world was consumed in the bright green flames of Fel fire.._

 

“NO!” She shot up in her bed. Her heart pounding and breath heaving. Beside her Jaina continued to sleep peacefully. Only turning over with a slight huff at Vereesa’s sudden outburst. Once she regained control of her breath and stilled the pounding of her heart she rose from the bed. Making sure to do so as quickly and silently as possible.

 

Once standing she made her way to the window and pulled the curtain aside just enough to peak out into the night. She flinched at the brightness of it all and once her eyes had adjusted she stared out at the marvel that was New Geneva. 

 

The city seemed to glitter in the night. The various street lights casting an orange glow on the now dark buildings that rose thousands of feet above the ground. Her ears flicked at the occasional passing car; automatically pressing against her head as they roared past.

 

With a sigh, she moved to the entryway and began to put on her coat and boots. Then she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Bright red carpet and beige walls met her gaze as she wandered towards the elevator. After spending a few moments looking for it she finally pressed the small silver button that would call it to her. Apprehensively stepping forward once it arrived with a soft ‘bing’. Her ears once again flattened against her head at the feeling of the metal box swiftly moving to the bottom floor. 

 

Opening once again with a soft ‘bing’ the doors had barely opened before Vereesa moved as quickly as possible to step out into the foyer and the night beyond. The feeling of cool air against her skin was refreshing if not bracing. She had discovered, most unfortunately, that while the island was quite warm during the day it practically froze at night. She shivered as she found a bench to sit on. The cool metal only making the night that much colder.

 

“Couldn’t sleep?” 

 

Vereesa swirled around, her shoulders tense, only to relax as she met the warm gaze of Alexstrasza.

 

“You could say that…”

 

The Life Binder stepped up beside her, Vereesa subconsciously scooting closer to the Dragons natural warmth, and the two of them continued to watch the cars go by. 

 

“This place is so very different from anywhere else I’ve ever been.” Her sister-in-law told her as she sat down beside her. And that was still such a strange thought to think about, although perhaps less so given their present circumstances. “They live so differently from the rest of us, with their science and their medicine.”

 

Vereesa tuned out at that. How different were they? In the face of the Legion they had been just as weak as Azeroth. Innocents perished, women, children, families. A slight shiver ran up her spine at the thought of the Infernal from her dream. 

 

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of two large feet settling behind them. “Lady Alexstrasza, Ranger General Windrunner, a pleasure.” Baine Bloodhoof said as he maneuvered to block them from the ocean breeze. Something Vereesa was very much appreciative of.

 

“The sentiment is shared high chieftain.” Alexstrasza responded with a kind smile. “Would you like to join us?”

 

“I would be most honoured.” The large Tauren said with a slight bow. 

 

They didn’t say anything more. Simply watching. It seemed so strange to Vereesa, that she could be sitting with a member of the Horde and feel anything other than anger, yet as she sat beside Baine she felt no anger.

 

She just felt tired. 

 

And it wasn’t long before she was closing her eyes and slipping into a deep slumber.

* * *

 

Sylvanas was never one for patience. She was a woman of action, she acted quickly and decisively to win the battle and the war. So it was with little trepidation that she sauntered into the city centre.

 

The building itself seemed to be nothing special. It was a large stone block surrounded by other stone blocks, but if one looked close enough, they could see the small things. Such as the magical glass globes that dotted the perimeter called cameras. A wondrous example of the kind of technology she wanted, _needed_. The kind of thing that opened new doors previously thought sealed.

 

If the security thought anything of her entrance they did little to show it. The only response she got was the gaze of the worker at the front desk and even then he only looked up so much as to confirm who it was. They did little to restrict her movement although she supposed she had given them very little reason to. 

 

Then at last she arrived at her destination. 

 

The Lord Commanders Office. It sat at the end of a monumentally massive hallway that seemed almost impossible considering the dimensions of the building. It sat easily fifty feet tall, lined with gold and built from silver marble, it reeked of power and authority. The doors themselves were wooden but carved with various tales none of which she knew. She ran her hand along it for a moment before one of the guards pushed it open for her. She shot him an annoyed look and was displeased when he didn’t even bat an eye. So with a flourish of her cloak she strode in.

 

If the hallway leading to it was exuberant then the office itself was truly something. The silver marble and gold lining stretched about halfway around the circular room before being exchanged for glass. The glass seemed to offer an impossible view, she knew for a fact that beyond it there was a massive glass building, but the glass showed only a large field of wheat. The Lord Commander himself was seated at a far more reasonably sized desk. His brown hair flopped forward like a veil hiding a brides face.

 

“Warchief, how nice of you to come and see me.” The Lord Commander said as he raised his head. Brown hair retreating to show an easy smile and bright orange eyes, not to mention the litany of scars across what would have otherwise been very handsome features. 

 

“Let us cut the formalities, I wish to see your people admitted to the Horde, you wish for a powerful ally. I see no need for you to entertain the Alliance’s meager pandering.” She told him as she gazed at her gauntlet.

 

“And what makes you think that I don’t find the Alliance stronger than the Horde?” He asked as he returned to his work. It was a nonchalant dismissal, one that would have had her bristling in any other occasion, but she settled for a mere twitch of her lips. 

 

“Please, they would limit your people’s potential behind a rouse of equality and righteousness. They would see you weakened and divided until they could control you like the pawns they so desperately need.” She said as strode towards the desk.

 

“And what of the Horde?” A new voice interrupted pausing her in her tracks. She swirled with a sneer and glared at one Anduin Wrynn.

 

“This conversation is not for your ears, little lion.” She said as she turned back to the Lord Commander.

 

“I would think it is considering he actually bothered to book an appointment rather than barging in, unannounced.” The Lord Commander said, shooting her a bored expression before returning to his work.

 

The dismissal was far more blatant this time and for the first time Sylvanas truly found herself at a loss for words. Never before in her life had she been cast aside so easily, an insult she would not soon forget, but all in good time. So with one last sneer to the boy king the Banshee Queen swept from the room. Leaving the two humans alone.

 

Calmly Anduin walked up to the desk and took a seat opposite the Lord Commander before waiting patiently for the man to finish his paperwork. When the older man finally finished he raised his orange eyes to meet Anduin's own and rested his arms on the table.

 

“High King, how may I help you?” He began softly.

 

“Perhaps with the dropping of formalities. My _name_ is Anduin.” The young king replied, hoping that his stressing on name would convey his discomfort with titles.

 

“Well then feel free to call me George.”

 

Anduin shot him a strange look for a moment before it passed, replaced once more with a kind smile.

 

“George is hardly the name I would think of for a man so powerful.” The king said with a raised brow.

 

“I find that names are of little consequence when we play the game of titles.” George responded with a soft sigh.

 

It was a game Anduin was well aware of. To dance the dance of respect while still holding regard for your own. In a world of Kingdoms how was one ever supposed to bow? 

 

“Now I imagine that you’ve come to make your pitch, to which I must unfortunately request you hold. Today has been very long and I find myself in need of rest, a feeling I imagine you must share, so for now...tell me of your home.”

 

It was an odd request but one Anduin found far easier to discuss than the complicated mess of alliances and enemies. So with far more enthusiasm he launched into the tale of his home land.

 

He hardly even noticed the wheat turn to grass.


	8. Hiatus

Hi everyone I know this is going to come as a disappointment but I need to do this. My grades in University have been slipping along with various other personal problems in my life. I don't want this or any of my other stories to feel like chores I have to work on rather than the joy bringing experience I know they are. So for a few months this story is going to go on a Hiatus until my second semester and uni is done. I may still update my other stories occasionally and I will continue to right one shots as the mood strikes but for now this is me taking a break. I hope you all understand.

-DLXM950

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. As always comments are welcome as long as they are respectful.


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